The other day my daughter came home and said she couldn’t believe what she had just seen as she drove home from work.  She told me she saw someone driving and reading a paperback book at the same time.  Needless to say, my daughter was flabbergasted; she told me she couldn’t believe someone actually had the nerve to read a book while behind the wheel, let alone during rush hour traffic.   Many accidents can be attributed to drivers who are preoccupied with other actions rather than focusing their full attention on the road.  In fact, the recent investigation involving the accident of a Los Angeles Metrolink commuter train which killed 25 people and injured over 130 more, may be pointing to a preoccupied engineer who was text messaging via cell phone, causing the train to run a red light on the tracks and crash into an oncoming freight engine.

While some states have banned text-messaging while driving (Alaska, Louisiana, Minnesota, New Jersey and Washington state and the District of Columbia) and other states currently have legislation pending, there are many other distractions we as drivers face every single time we get behind the wheel, from hearing blaring music from other vehicles which may prevent us from hearing emergency sirens to witnessing children and animals riding in the bed of trucks - and everything in between.  While we can’t ban everything, we can certainly do our part to insure better driving conditions for everyone. 

15 Things You Should Never Do While Driving

• Put on make-up
• Text on a cell phone
• Look at a map/Read a book
• Eat/Drink very hot food and/or beverages
• Talk on a cell phone
• Yell or make obscene gestures to other motorists
• Attempt to restrain pets or other animals
• Argue/Fight with passengers
• Take notes/Write
• Turn up music full blast
• Play handheld games
• Take drugs
• Drink alcohol
• Have Sex/Make-out
• Run red lights/stop signs/speed

While we often assume that most people know the rules, the sad truth is many do not – or just don’t care.   I often hear young people say, “It’s okay if they hit me.  I have insurance,” but what they don’t know is that’s it’s not okay. Most who make this statement have never been in an accident and don’t fully realize the implications, including possible injury or even death to themselves or passengers, loss of a vehicle, insurance deductibles and more. 

6 months ago today, I lost one of my best friends due to an auto accident which could have been prevented. One person’s careless actions took the life of a son, a brother and a friend, so today I’m asking all of you to stop, look, listen and be aware.  It could save your life – or the life of a loved one or fellow motorist.

Tags: Advice, General //